Kygo, Zedd Set to Headline High-End Music Festival At Westhampton’s Gabreski Airport

A one-day music festival headlined by Kygo and Zedd is set for Westhampton in late August, in what is likely to be the largest music event on the East End this summer.

Organized by Kygo’s lifestyle brand, Palm Tree Crew, the accordingly-named Palm Tree Music Festival is billed as a “tropical-inspired” event, set for August 29 at Francis S. Gabreski Airport, organizers announced in an August 3 press release.

“[T]he single-day event captures the unmatched feeling of summer in paradise,” the release states, continuing that “majestic beach vibes” and food and beverage offerings will also be features of the festival.

Up to 3,000 people are expected to attend, and the event will require all guests to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or show a recent negative test, organizers of the Palm Tree Music Festival wrote in an email. The festival will also test every guest for COVID-19 on site, they added.

Initially, the festival’s production company applied to host the festival at Nova’s Ark Project in Water Mill — the same site of a nationally rebuked 2020 concert featuring the Chainsmokers and Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman’s band during the height of the pandemic.

But Southampton Town officials denied that application — Mr. Schneiderman said the conflicting dates with the already-approved Hampton Classic Horse Show fostered traffic concerns.

The Suffolk County Legislature approved the festival in a July 27 session — voting 18-0 to authorize County Executive Steve Bellone to enter a licensing agreement with Squadra Entertainment, the festival’s production company.

Gabreski Airport is owned by Suffolk County, meaning the festival required county, not town approval.

“It’s a much better location,” Mr. Schneiderman said on Tuesday.

Calls to the airport manager’s office inquiring about the festival were redirected to Mr. Bellone’s office. A spokesperson for the county executive did not respond to requests for comment.

Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming said Mr. Bellone assured the Legislature that safety precautions would be taken.

“One of the concerns was that the arts institutions, and folks who make a living making music have been hit pretty hard economically,” Ms. Fleming said. “[Mr. Bellone] asked that we support some of the local vendors, and the event, so I was happy to support it.”

In an email, representatives for the festival said Gabreski Airport was a perfect fit, away from residential areas with large open spaces.

Norwegian producer-D.J. Kygo rose to international fame in the mid-2010s with electric hits including “Stole the Show” and “Firestone.” His 2019 remix of Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love” featured vocals from the late Whitney Houston and charted internationally — then President-elect Joe Biden played the song directly after delivering his November 7, 2020 victory speech.

Zedd is a Grammy Award-winning producer-D.J. who brings a host of dynamic hits, including “The Middle,” “Clarity” and “Stay.” The festival will also include sets by Frank Walker, Forester and Gryffin.

The 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks — just two weeks after the festival —was also at the minds of organizers: A portion of ticket sale proceeds will be donated to organizations working on 9/11 and veteran related causes, including the Feel Good Foundation and Lt. Michael P. Murphy Navy Seal Museum, organizers of the Palm Tree Music Festival wrote in their email.

As of publication, available tickets included $450 general admission “gold village” tickets, $20,000 private RV packages and $50,000 backstage passes, according to the event’s ticket sales site. The press release states a 10:30 p.m. “curfew” for the festival.

“I knew it was time to bring something even bigger to my fans,” Kygo wrote in the release. “I can’t wait for everyone to be a part of this amazing experience.”